With more than 30 years on the job, Richard Palm, pastry chef at the American Club in Kohler, has accumulated vast knowledge about baking holiday cookies. On top of this, he is a longtime cookie lover and eater: He grew up in a Scandinavian home, where the flavors of Christmas were always tinged with spices and sugar.

Palm was happy to pass along a few handy tips for successful cookie baking, along with some cherished memories of his grandmother's Christmas cookies.

Q. What do you think is the ideal Christmas cookie or cookie display?

A. I come from the Swedish tradition, and we have something called sju sorters kakor, which literally means "seven kinds of cookies." That's the tradition in Sweden: When you have people over for coffee, you offer seven kinds of cookies. Why that's important to me is because one of the things people are looking for is contrast in taste and texture.

So what do I have on mine? Oh, I'm very fond of ginger snaps. There's a Swedish cookie called Grandma's Jam Cakes. So you've got a spicy cookie, then a fruity cookie. There's a cookie that I'm very fond of that uses rye flour. It's a rye shortbread cookie and you just roll it out like a shortbread. . . . I like them. I think they're very nutty tasting, and it kind of reminds you of what things were like 150 years ago.

Q. The American Club's Cardamom Tea Cookie (Sandkakor) continues to be a favorite among our staff.

A. Oh yes, the Scandinavians are known for their butter cookies. This year, we've taken that same Cardamom Tea Cookie, and we take out one ounce (two tablespoons) of butter and put in one ounce of orange oil and some Tung Ting (Chinese) cinnamon from the Spice House and then dip them half in chocolate. They're fabulous.

Q. What are common pitfalls in baking?

A. If you're going to take the time and effort - and people's time is really precious these days - use real butter. And use, preferably, unsalted. Use quality ingredients. Get the good stuff. Get real spices from The Spice House. Get smaller quantities so they can be fresh.

You're looking at your time as an investment. Set aside the time. Either unplug the phone or have someone else answer your phone. Just concentrate on what you're doing. The minute you get distracted, ingredients get left out, procedures get shortened, shortcuts get taken and things don't turn out as a well. Put all of your concentration into it. Put all of your love into it.

In most cases, cookies - most food - is a communal act. You're going to sit down with people and you're going to share, and they're going to taste the love. That sounds a little phony and a little corny, but I really do believe it.

Q. What can we tell the less-experienced cook who might be intimidated by the idea of baking?

A. You have to remember that baking is more scientific. It pushes the limits of what ingredients can do. That's why you need to pay attention. That's why when (a recipe) says 1 cup of flour, you don't just shove it in and so what if it's mounded. Level it off. It's important that measurements are precise. It's important that (ingredients) are handled respectfully and it's important that the recipe is followed.

For instance, if you're making a ginger snap and it says to let it mature in a cooler place for one day, that's what you do. Because it's going to gain more flavor.

But likewise, cook to your level. Make cookies that you can do. Don't take on something that is going to be daunting even to a pastry chef.

Also, people need to remember that the more you do something, the better you get at it.

Q. Our winning cookie is called Kringle Cutout, and it's a very simple pastry dough made with sour cream, with a raspberry center and piped with a vanilla icing.

A. Can I add a touch? I know this is her recipe, but in the white icing, try a little drop of almond extract. That'll really make the flavor of the raspberry pop.

But I also think that one of the things about Christmas is this is the time that you trot out, faithfully, all the traditional recipes, and I think it's important if you don't have those, to establish some because these are things that will live with kids. And it's a way, in a strange sense, to build some degree of continuity between the different generations. One of the things we see today is this generational thing is so much shorter than it was.

Smells and tastes evoke, oft times, powerful emotions. My grandmother made this Ginger Kringle Cookie and she also made a Sour-milk Sugar Cookie that to this day if I taste them or see them will bring tears to my eyes.

And I'm not a crier - I'm just not! - but my grandmother was probably one of the better people in this world.

Q. Is there a way to brighten up some of those traditional cookies that may have lost their luster over the years?

A. There are: You can do that with spices; you can do that with ingredients. I refuse, for example, and I'm sorry if this sounds snotty, but I refuse to put lard in a cookie. I don't care if that was the way grandmother made it or not.

But if you're going to change fat content, you have to know what you're doing. Lard is 100% fat, but American and European butters have different levels of fat content. European is usually 82% to 84%, whereas American butter is 75%.

What you will do (if you are decreasing the fat content of a recipe) is decrease the amount of flour you put in by about 10% to 15%. Try a small batch at first to see if you have the ratio right.

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Palm suggests one simple substitution - garam masala for cardamom - to his traditional tea cookies for a contemporary twist.

American Club Tea Cookies with Garam Masala
Makes 3 to 4 dozen

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, room temperature

2/3 cup sugar

1 large egg yolk

¼ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon garam masala

¼ teaspoon baking soda

2 cups unsifted flour

½ cup superfine sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In medium bowl with electric mixer, cream butter and sugar until smooth and very, very fluffy. Volume will increase about half again in size. Stir in egg yolk, salt, garam masala, baking soda and flour. Blend well.

Shape dough into 1-inch balls and place 1 inch apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake in preheated oven 15 to 18 minutes or until golden. Cool on wire rack. When completely cool, roll in superfine sugar.